I am posting this in an effort to learn. I have a Graflex camera that I am determined to learn about. I inherited from my dad who recently died...I remember him showing me how to use it when I was little (I'm 27 now) but now I don't remeber now. I believe it is a view style camera because it has a thing on the back which pops open and has a view finder. However...I can't get the front of the camera, where the lens and bellows are, open. There are 2 little silver knobs on either side but they seem stuck...how do I open it? I know I can find out what kind of camera it is based on the lens...but I can't get to the lens. The next step will be getting a manual. Any help would be appreciated. thanks.

It may well be that it is a speed, crown or super graphic. as you are looking at the front of it (the side where you see the 2 knobs) is there a leather or vinyl handstrap on the right side? feel along the top of the side. up in the corner near the top of the handstrap you should feel a slight bump underneath the leather covering. Give the bump a slight push and that should release the front bed. then you can grasp knobs and pull the bed out & downward, after which it should reveal to you the lens & bellows. the board that the lens mounted on should have the model nameplate on it. just under the lens board standard you should see a steel locking ring which will be angled to the right or left. by turning this to the center this should release the front lens standard so that you can pull it out along the rails until it contacts 2 small stops. once you've ascertained the camera model, have a look for that model on the pages in the main section of this website. there's a wealth of information to be found both there & here in this help forum. one important thing is to make sure that before closing the camera front, make certain that you rack the focusing rail all the way back into the camera body and make sure the front lens standard is all the way pushed back in & locked there.
i hope this helps.
more questions? just ask......

Thanks for the response. Looking at the front of my camera there is an extended handle w/ leather strap on the right, an eye-piece on the upper left and a flash attachment on the left w/ a "Kalart synchronized range finder". A yellow cord extends from the bottom of the handle. There is a metal slide-button (as best as I can describe it) on the lower left of the camera. I looked for the button you spoke of but can't find one. The silver knobs are grooved as if they could be turned but I can't turn them or press them. Still haven't figured out how to open it...could it just be that it is stuck....should I try prying it gently to see if it will open? Seem like I should be able to grip on either side of the knobs and pull it open but it deosn't work. Any other advice? Thanks for the help.

with the camera in front of you and the Kalart rangefinder to the left and the handle on the right , put your hand on the top of the camera. Near the front and in the center (right to left) might be a bump in the leather, it feels like a pimple, push down and the front bed should open.

If the pimple isn't there then turn the camera so you are looking at the leather handle (side opposite the rangefinder) in the upper left corner should be a bump.

Don't just pull the bed, it'll bend the trim if not the bed itself and then you'll be in big trouble.